A study on the cytotoxic activity of marine sponges on the embryo development of sea urchin Diadema savigny

A study on the cytotoxic activity of five sponges has been conducted. The samples were collected from Malalayang beach, extraced with ethanol to give ethanolic extract. The ethanolic extratc then partitioned with hexane, ethyl acetate, buthanol to yield three fractions. Crude extracts, hexane and chloroform fractions were subjected to cytotoxic assay using fertilized Sea urchin eggs. The results showed that sponge Theonalla sp. contained a potential cytotoxic compound(s). After partitioned lay open that dissolve fraction ethyl acetate showed activity of highest cytotoxic. The study gives a high probability in discovering many novel cytotoxic compounds from the sea© Suatu penelitian tentang pengujian aktivitas sitotoksik dari lima jenis spons (Petrosia nigricans, Plakinolophia mirabilis, Axinella corrugata, Ianthella basta, Theonella sp.) telah dilakukan. Spons yang diambil dari perairan Malalayang diekstrak dengan etanol. Ekstrak etanolik dipartisi dengan pelarut heksan, etil asetat dan butanol. Ekstrak etanolik dan fraksi-fraksi diujikan pada sel telur bulu babi Diadema savigny yang telah dibuahi. Pengamatan dilakukan selama 48 jam. Hasil pengujian menunjukkan bahwa kontrol mencapai tahap pluteus sedangkan pengujian ekstrak etanolik dari kelima jenis spons diperoleh hasil Theonella sp. mempunyai aktivitas tertinggi. Sampel spons Theonella sp. mampu menghambat/memperlambat pembelahan sel bulu babi sampai pengamatan 48 jam hanya sampai pada pembelahan 4. Dari pengujian ketiga fraksi menunjukkan bahwa fraksi etil asetat memiliki aktivitas sitotoksik yang tinggi dibanding fraksi heksan dan fraksi butanol. Hasil penelitian ini membuka peluang besar penemuan berbagai senyawa aktif sitotoksik dari organisme laut khususnya spons yang berasal dari perairan Sulawesi Utara©

Especies de esponjas marinas conocidas para la isla Hispaniola

Se ofrece una cronología histórica de las investigaciones sobre las esponjas de la Isla Hispaniola desde 1864 al presente. La información proviene de los resultados de expediciones y proyectos nacionales e internacionales en más de 20 localidades dominicanas y haitianas, colecciones de cinco museos que albergan 41 especies, y más de 40 publicaciones taxonómicas y ecológicas. De este análisis, se conocen ahora 138 especies de esponjas para Hispaniola: 127 para República Dominicana (lo cual añade unas 102 especies al último inventario nacional), 63 especies para Haití y una especie sin especificar el país. Seis especies, Axinella corrugata, Pseudotrachya amaza, Polymastia tenax, Xestospongia dominicana, Prosuberites psammophilus y Ecionemia dominicana, tienen como tipo una localidad dominicana. Las especies compiladas son representativas de los ecosistemas de manglares, sustratos particulados con macrovegetación y/o pastos marinos y arrecifes coralinos desde la orilla hasta aproximadamente 40 m de profundidad.

Development of a red-shifted fluorescence-based assay for SARS-coronavirus 3CL protease: identification of a novel class of anti-SARS agents from the tropical marine sponge Axinella corrugata

SARS-coronavirus (SARS-CoV) encodes a main protease, 3CLpro, which plays an essential role in the viral life cycle and is currently the prime target for discovering new anti-coronavirus agents. In this article, we report our success in developing a novel red-shifted (RS) fluorescence-based assay for 3CLpro and its application for identifying small-molecule anti-SARS agents from marine organisms. We have synthesised and characterised the first generation of a red-shifted internally quenched fluorogenic substrate (RS-IQFS) for 3CLpro based on resonance energy transfer between the donor and acceptor pair CAL Fluor Red 610 and Black Hole Quencher-1 (K m and k cat values of 14 μM and 0.65 min-1). The RS-IQFS primary sequence was selected based on the results of our screening analysis of 3CLpro performed using a series of blue-shifted (BS)-IQFSs corresponding to the 3CLpro-mediated cleavage junctions of the SARS-CoV polyproteins. In contrast to BS-IQFSs, the RS-IQFS was not susceptible to fluorescence interference from coloured samples and allowed for successful screening of marine natural products and identification of a coumarin derivative, esculetin-4-carboxylic acid ethyl ester, a novel 3CLpro inhibitor (IC50=46 μM) and anti-SARS agent (EC50=112 μM; median toxic concentration >800 μM) from the tropical marine sponge Axinella corrugata.

Characterization of a Culturable Alphaproteobacterial Symbiont Common to Many Marine Sponges and Evidence for Vertical Transmission via Sponge Larvae

ABSTRACT A closely related group of alphaproteobacteria were found to be present in seven genera of marine sponges from several locations and were shown to be transferred between sponge generations through the larvae in one of these sponges. Isolates of the alphaproteobacterium were cultured from the sponges Axinella corrugata, Mycale laxissima, Monanchora unguifera, and Niphates digitalis from Key Largo, Florida; Didiscus oxeata and Monanchora unguifera from Discovery Bay, Jamaica; an Acanthostronglyophora sp. from Manado, Indonesia; and Microciona prolifera from the Cheasapeake Bay in Maryland. Isolates were very similar to each other on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence (>99% identity) and are closely related to Pseudovibrio denitrificans. The bacterium was never isolated from surrounding water samples and was cultured from larvae of M. laxissima, indicating that it is a vertically transmitted symbiont in this sponge. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, 16S rRNA gene clone library analysis, and fluorescent in situ hybridization with probes specific to the alphaproteobacterium confirmed the presence of this bacterium in the M. laxissima larvae. The alphaproteobacterium was densely associated with the larvae rather than being evenly distributed throughout the mesohyl. This is the first report of the successful culture of a bacterial symbiont of a sponge that is transferred through the gametes.